Can Anything Do Justice to a Cover This Beautiful?

A stack of packages waited for me when I woke up that morning. I opened the “boring” ones first. Laundry pods from Dropps.com, Bathroom scrubbing things from Amazon. A new journal I’d decided to make a part of my 2020 routine.

Confession. I actually already had it. But I had bought a new one from BaronFig.com (you get 10.00 credit if you order and so do I) because I didn’t want to write in the one I already had. Yes, you read that correctly. No, it makes no sense. #BecauseMe. Journal hoarders will understand, though. We’re a small, but kindred bunch.

Then came the fun ones. You know them by their golden envelopes—padded.

Books.

The first one was a novel I’d finally allowed myself to order. Two more books that I’d never heard of followed that—folks hoping I’d review them. Those are always fun days—especially when I think I’d like the book, and I did think I’d like one of those.

Then came a heavy one. As I ripped it open, the questions piled up. What was this one? I didn’t order anything else, did I?

Look, most review copies of books I request and receive aren’t hard copies, so when this one slipped out and jabbed my leg with a hard, sharp corner, I was both irked and pleased.

And then I saw the cover. Oh, my word. This cover is stunning. Especially as a hardback. I know that probably sounds weird, but it’s true. While it would be lovely in paperback, it wouldn’t have the presence that it has wrapped in its green and gold jacket.

Maybe it sounds silly—probably does, actually—but I swear my thumb caressed the cover. Excitement welled. I whispered the title. For Whom the Sun Sings.

If that wouldn’t entice someone, I don’t know what would.

Fun fact: I was just about to put a call out for suggestions for speculative fiction titles—sci-fi, dystopian, fantasy… any kind of “spec fic” for my new BecauseFiction podcast. And then last night, I pulled out this book to read #BecauseFiction, right? WOOHOO! Of course, I still need suggestions to make an episode worth the time, but I may have to do an entire one on this book alone. Whoa.

But even then as I stared at that lovely cover, my gut twisted into knots. I got nervous. Just because I’d requested and received this review copy from the top “spec fic” publisher in the Christian industry, didn’t mean anything. Or did it? One question repeated itself on a never-ending loop.

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Can Anything Do Justice to a Cover This Beautiful?

I’d never noticed it before, but speculative fiction is very much like a mystery. One by one, the clues to the world you step into unfold—just by you turning a page. Excellent authors, like W.A. Fulkerson, make it easy. All you have to do is turn the page.

If I could only choose one thing as my favorite thing about this book it would be the way in which Fulkerson wrote those story layers. Those who enjoy uncovering a mystery—who love catching the tiny nuances and fitting them together like the puzzle the book was designed to be—they’re given that opportunity. Hints from the very first words on the first page of the first chapter lead you to knowing and understanding everything he’ll show you.

However, if you don’t care to “gumshoe” your way through the story, you don’t need to. Much like a vivid painting that tells the entire tale on one page, the author has layered a hundred sheets of almost clear vellum over it. Page by page, those sheets are removed until you reach the end and see it all clearly, without ever needing the hints along the way.

But there’s so much more.

At first, some of the clumsy phrasing bothered me. It should. Because there was a reason for it. Occasionally, some modern phrasing would jar me out of the story and trip me up. Well done, Mr. Fulkerson. Very well done.

In Andrius, we have a sympathetic character—a hero limited first by ignorance, then by knowledge, and finally by fear and cruelty. His keen insights aren’t due to inherent brilliance but due to that instinct toward self-preservation. He behaves as a boy in his position should and would!

Additionally, every single character in this book behaves as is reasonable for who they are and where they are in the time of the story. Yes, there are character arcs—rises and dips—but they follow reasonable patterns that keep them from becoming unrealistically good or evil.

One of the most brilliant things I noted in For Whom the Sun Sings was the author’s use of description. Seriously, I wonder if there’s a single word in this book that he didn’t agonize over to get just right.

Best of all…the allegory.

Call it a parable, symbolism, or an allegory. I really don’t care. There’s a story within the story that begs this world to see what the author most wants it to—we’re blind without sight. We’re blind without the One who gives us sight. We can convince ourselves otherwise, but blind is blind. We need healing, not positive affirmation.

When people teach truth that hurts, sometimes we’re too blind to see that truth, so we create a new truth for ourselves.

But that new, so-called truth doesn’t change the facts.

We’re still blind.

I’ve never read anything by W.A. Fulkerson before. When the opportunity to request a free review copy appeared in my inbox, I snapped it up because the cover looked interesting, and I don’t read enough spec fic. I’m so grateful the publisher sent this book. I’ll be buying copies for gifts.  Today.

For Whom the Sun Sings is on tour with Celebrate Lit

About the Book

Book:  For Whom The Sun Sings

Author: W.A. Fulkerson

Genre:  Young Adult Fiction / Religious / Christian / Fantasy

Release Date: March 17, 2020

The world is blind…then one boy is born with sight.

Nestled in a mountain haven, the remaining people of the world live in a village that is ordinary but strict. A severe peace must be kept severely, as they say. It’s all that keeps them from descending into the chaos that claimed the world a hundred years ago.
Led by the Prophet Valdas and his Regents, the villagers work, play, marry, and have families. They gather in ceremony once a year to celebrate their Day of Remembrance. Life is planned, precise, and predictable until the special abilities of eleven-year-old Andrius threaten to undermine it all.

About the Author

W. A. Fulkerson is the author of ten books, including Writing With Purpose: A Step-By-Step Guide to Producing Your Best Book. He works in film as a screenwriter, having written the award-winning documentary Save My Seoul with Jubilee Media. He teaches regularly at San Diego Writers, Ink in Point Loma, CA. Fulkerson is a voracious reader across genres, but J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Isaac Asimov, Michael Crichton, T. H. White, Pablo Neruda, and John Donne are particular favorites. In his free time, he enjoys coaching wrestling, training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and studying languages. He lives in San Diego with his wife and son.

More from W.A. Fulkerson

You know the feeling.

Your co-worker is clearly lying again and again, but your boss doesn’t see it. People in your neighborhood keep voting for the same crooked politicians, but they don’t listen when you suggest an alternative. You know you’d be the perfect couple if he/she only gave you a chance. You’ve found the secret to living a better, freer life, but no one else cares to participate.

Sometimes, it seems like the whole world has gone crazy, and you’re the only one who refuses to swallow the crazy pills. It’s an aggravating feeling, and it lies at the heart of my new novel For Whom the Sun Sings.

It’s dedicated, “To everyone who has ever felt alone in knowing the truth,” but the book is not an allegory. It doesn’t hint at political points or try to convince you of anything. It’s a catharsis, vented by way of a story that will hopefully have you putting off your to-do list so you can finish the book. (A lot of the advance readers have read it in just one day, which makes me feel good, as the author.)
The main character, Andrius, is the ultimate expression of that frustrated feeling of something being so clear to you, but you lack the ability to explain to, cajole, or convince anyone. Writing it felt like healing, for that reason, and I hope it’s refreshing to you as well.

Blog Stops

Just the Write Escape, March 30

Texas Book-aholic, March 31

Inklings and notions, April 1

For Him and My Family, April 2

Wishful Endings, April 3 (Author Interview)

April Hayman, Author, April 3

deb’s Book Review, April 4

Artistic Nobody, April 5

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 6

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 7

Emily Yager, April 8

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 9

Pause for Tales, April 10

amandainpa, April 11

Simple Harvest Reads, April 12 (Guest Reviewer Donna Cline)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, W.A. is giving away the grand prize of an autographed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/f739/for-whom-the-sun-sings-celebration-tour-giveaway